It's All About Luck
by Rannison
Summary: With Trigon dead, Raven finds herself making one more sacrifice to find a shot at happiness. Meanwhile, Jinx returns to Jump, seeking a new start. T for language. Yuri warning! Eventual Pairing: RavenxJinx. Please R&R! Ch.10 Up!
1. Chapter 1

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: I don't own Teen Titans, or Ami and Yumi...or Raven and Jinx...drool...or Starfire...Blackfire...

Taki: ...Pulls out her mallet.

Bubby: ACK! Hehehe, anooo...ahem. Looks down at index cards. The following is a shojo-ai fan fiction, involving Raven and Jinx. Please do not read if this type of material offends you! Thank you!

Rannison: Sweat drop...on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 1 (Ver. 1.1)**

Strange, how such a dark, bleak place could be a familiar haven. She'd never before considered it to be so, but now faced with her current dilemma, realization dawned upon her that she may well never set eyes on this place again.

_Are you guys sure about this? He's gone now...there's no need to ever fear again._

"There's nothing to be afraid of...we'll always be a part of you, and you a whole from us..." Knowledge's voice sounded confident, rational, and self-convinced...but Raven knew herself better than anyone else. There was fear, fear in all of them, fear in herself. Their decision may well be the demise of all of them, and who knew what the results were? None of them had even a fragment of the vast amount of knowledge and experience requisite to predict the outcome. For all they knew, Raven herself may simply cease to exist as who she was and become someone—or something—completely different. She may even die.

"We hafta do this, Rae! This is your only shot left at finding happiness, or even a normal life!" Happy stood defiant, but Raven saw the quiver in her lower lip, the tell-tale shimmer of tears in her eyes. She'd never before seen such solemnity in her carefree counterpart. Her heart ached at such a sight.

_...what about you guys...?_

"You are us. We are you. Even if we disappear, we will always be with you, around you, _in_ you. As long as you exist, so will we." Courage was the only one who seemed unwavering, but even she couldn't keep the sadness from seeping into her voice.

_...it just won't be the same...it'll be as if you all died...I'll be alone..._

Courage turned, fully facing Raven. "One cannot choose when he is conceived or born. But he must have the courage to choose when and how he lives, and dies. Remember that always." She placed her hands upon Raven's shoulders, and touched her forehead to her own. "We exist for one, and only one, purpose. Now that your father is departed, we are only a burden to your life. Happy's right. This is your only shot at happiness, at normalcy." Even in Courage's eyes, tears began to fall, but she showed no shame, nor did she try to hide them. Instead, she smiled. "And even without us, you won't be alone. You'll find someone. You deserve no less."

Raven could no longer hold back her own tears. She couldn't believe this was happening, did not even foresee this event a few short hours ago. This was really goodbye. What would happen after this morbid hour was beyond anyone's guess, but she finally accepted that they were right: if she wanted to be able to exist as a mortal...if she wanted to be like her friends, to laugh, to live, to love, to lead a life and seek happiness, this was the only feasible way to start that new life.

"...I'll miss you all..." She found the strength to speak with her own voice, though it cracked with grief.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around her waist, and she felt a hesitant but warm embrace. Timid expressed her feelings without words, or perhaps words simply escaped her in such a moment.

"I guess it's time to go...we'll be seeing you around, Rae."

She felt Timid's warmth envelope her, felt her _being_ merge with her own, but the sudden absence of the pair of arms embracing her shook her very core with grief. However, she felt Timid's spirit within herself, saw her demure smile in her mind...no. It was her own smile, one she rarely showed. It was her own.

Courage wore the same smile as she spoke. "Take care of yourself, Rae." Her image seemed to grow faint, as if she had become transparent, and then just a glow. She felt her enter her body, and again she seemed to gain a sharper sense of self.

Knowledge slapped close a dusty tome she had had opened across her legs. She stood with a sigh, and walked up to Raven. "Stay sharp, it won't be all fun and games from here." Raven nodded, and Knowledge proceeded as those before her did.

One by one, they all did the same. As they merged with Raven, their surroundings seemed to grow darker and darker, as if this inner realm sentiently knew that it's purpose had been served and was no longer needed, slowly fading away with those whom it had sheltered for so long.

"Definitely not the way I wanted things to turn out, but what can I say?" Lust, the last emotion, came into view from the shadows. "Well, fuck...what can I say...it's been fun, Master." She wrapped her arms around Raven's neck and kissed her, surprising the demoness. Then, she was gone.

Raven closed her eyes.

* * *

She woke with a gasp.

..._...was it all just a dream?_

Laying there in her room, Raven didn't feel as if anything were out of place, didn't feel any different than she did each morning. Tiredly, she reached up to touch her face. She froze.

Slowly, she brought her fingers into view. They glistened, with tears. _Her_ tears. No exploding lights, no levitating objects. Yet the tears kept coming, rolling off her cheeks.

For the first time in a long time, Raven cried earnestly, sobs wracking her body, cleansing her mind and soul.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.1)**: No significant changes, just one spelling and a few grammatical. Thanks to Sushichica, for critiques!

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: Well, what do you guys think? This is my first attempt at writing a Teen Titan fan fic, though certainly not my first time considering it; this idea's been stuck in my head for a while now, so I finally figured, what the heck? I'll give it a try . Please R&R! Oh, and yes, this is eventually going to turn into a Raven x Jinx pairing

**Other Notes**: Btw, for all of you who've read my earlier works and wondered where the hell I went off to and died, it's a very, very long story. Turning 18, moving out on my own, working and going to school part time, I didn't even get a laptop until recently. But now, two years later, I'm back at it again! Unfortunately, I no longer have all my old files, so I'm starting fresh with new material...but fret not! I haven't abandoned all my other projects .! I just need something light-hearted to start off my re-entry x3 so please be patient with me!

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticism and flames are welcome!


	2. Chapter 2

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: I don't own Teen Titans, or their kick-ass theme song.

Taki: You just like the singers is all, you pervert!

Bubby: Ahem! Ignores Taki. The following is a shojo-ai fan fiction, involving Raven and Jinx. Please do not read if this type of material offends you! Thank you!

Rannison: Sweat drop...don't you guys ever stop?

* * *

**Chapter 2 (Ver. 1.1)**

"Mommy, I want ice cream!" "I want some too!"

She turned to look at the source of the voices, a pair of children and a middle-aged woman. The jingle of the ice cream truck muted as the truck stopped at the woman's signal and the children ran amuck, elated.

The sight of it made her sick.

Jinx turned back and continued to walk down the sidewalk, now staring down at her feet as she strolled along, not paying attention to anything in particular. Her thoughts were in a turmoil, and walking often times proved to be a way to clear her mind.

_What the hell am I doing?_

The same question had been plaguing the pink-haired witch for months now. Her right hand tightened in her coat pocket, fisting two Benjamin's. She'd done it again. This time, her mark was an unsuspecting brunette at the local café who'd been careless enough to leave her purse hanging on the back of her chair, exposed.

_What the hell am I doing?_ Jinx asked herself again. _Where does it end?_

She can still remember at one time she had a mother too. There was no such thing as fear, hunger, or solitude back then.

She sighed. _That's ancient history..._

The witch's thoughts drifted back to The Hive again, to the Academy and Brother Blood. She had looked up to him, he who had taken her in when she didn't have a home, gave her food, shelter, and training, gave her friends and family she never realized she would have again. Back then, stealing didn't seem at all to be a wrong-doing. To her, it was a repayment to Brother Blood, the least she could do to return his kindness. She was too naive back then.

Betrayal had a way of clearing a person's perspective.

Sighing, she arrived at the grocery shop. Stealing for fun, especially when you had a gang to back you up or bust you out at all times, never seemed that dire. She'd never been locked up for more than two days, Brother Blood always took care of his own.

_Well, we were his property after all_, she thought bitterly. But now, stealing to survive was a totally different feel.

Entering, Jinx grabbing a basket and making her way down the aisles.

She'd thought about it plenty of times. Go clean. Find a job. Maybe even do something good with her skills. But it was just a thought, a dream, nothing more. She was stained, marked...weighed down by her naive past, feared by some, hated by others. Even if she were to change her appearance, she didn't have the resources to forge a new identity and background.

This was real life. Stealing petty cash, so she can buy instant ramen and 99 cent synthetic drinks, hoping to God to come into enough money to pay the rent at the end of the month, hoping to God not to get caught and thrown into jail again and lose what little she'd manage to salvage of her life.

She quickly made her way through the checkout counter, and then out the store. Pulling her cap down lower and straightening her coat, she briskly walked away, hoping not to be recognized by anyone.

This was real life.

A scream wrent the air, jerking Jinx out of her bitter thoughts. She dropped her bags.

Across the street lay the woman, her two children clutching to her crying, their ice cream spilled across sidewalk all but forgotten. A man in a baseball cap and letterman jacket was running in the opposite direction, a purse in his hands.

Jinx reacted without thinking, shooting her arm up to send a hex screaming across the air. It hit a package drop box as the thief rounded the corner and blasted it off of the concrete, connecting with the man's side with a solid **CRACK**. Crossing the street, she briskly retrieved the purse and checked his pulse, then returned to the fallen woman and her children.

The woman was sitting up now; she looked like she had the wind knocked out of her. At Jinx's approach, she hid her children behind her and gazed warily at the female sorceress.

_Thank God she wasn't stabbed_, was Jinx's first thought. She stopped in front of the woman and held her purse out to her.

"Thank you," she said, cautiously taking the purse. She was scared, and the two silent children behind her were scared as well.

She didn't expect any less. Jinx had moved a little distance away from Jump City to cool her trail, but she had quickly learned just how unwelcome meta-humans were in society outside of the city. People feared those who were different from them, no matter their deeds. Outside of Jump City, even the Titans would receive no more a reception than she.

So she simply nodded, and walked back across the street. She bent down to retrieve her bags, and began her long walk again. Eyes bored into her back, all around her. People feared her, loathed her, simply because she was different.

This was real life.

_Time to relocate...again_, she thought tiredly. A sudden desire filled her, one that came from time to time and increased in intensity over time.

_I wanna go back to Jump..._

Jinx had no friends, no family, no allies there. There, she was a wanted criminal. There, the Titans would turn her in at sight. But Jump was her home, and now, more than ever, she wanted to go back.

_It's been more than a year...I guess my trail's not gonna get any colder than it is now_.

Suddenly filled with determination and, for the first time in a long time, a little nervous yet euphoric excitement, Jinx made her decision.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: No major changes, swapped a few pronouns, corrected some punctuation.

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: Well, here it is! Chapter 2, a little shorter but necessary to set the foundation for the story. After this, the plot will begin to progress, and I'll start making the chapters longer. Feel free to send me ideas, thoughts, or corrections any time! I'm actually winging the majority of this, so if you have a good idea I might use, I'll give you credit for it!

**Review Replies:**

Carmen Sandiego: Sorry for the short wait, here's the second chapter!

Strgrl4eva: Well, hopefully it stays good, and hopefully you don't mind the pairing, cuz it's one of my

faves x3

DF: Yeah, I was hoping I'd be the first to address it. Next chapter will reveal more!

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	3. Chapter 3

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Taki: We don't own Teen Titans...but we're their RULERS! Muwahahahaaa!

Bubby: Mutters Psh, yeah right...

**!!BLAM!!**

Rannison: Cringe. That's gotta hurt...well, on with the story!

* * *

**Chapter 3 (Ver. 1.1)**

Raven stood in front of the mirror, studying her reflection. She couldn't stop fidgeting, and her heart was pounding. Violet eyes, purple hair, and a very pale complexion. Slender—nearly petite—body and average in height. That was all that was left of herself which she found identifiable as Raven.

Her hair was now tied back in a loose pony-tail. She wore a plain, black sleeveless shirt, and a pair of blue-denim jeans. She almost looked...ordinary. _As ordinary as a half-demon can get, anyway_, she thought.

Letting out a nervous breath, she turned towards her door.

_Now or never_.

Walking up to the door, she paused one more time before phasing through the threshold.

Walking down the hallway, she felt like her heart was going to go into arrest it was beating so fast. Contrary to what everyone may think, she was very subject to her teammates' opinions, and very self-conscious. If they laughed at her...she didn't know how she would take it.

Emerging into the kitchen/living room, she could see everyone bustling about in their morning rituals.

Robin was relaxed on the couch, watching the news for pertinent information. Starfire was floating behind him to his right, sipping on a cup of what Raven assumed to be mustard, and watching the television screen. And Beast Boy and Cyborg...well, they were arguing about breakfast. Again.

_Time to face the music_ she mused.

She walked out into the open.

Beast Boy was the first to notice, as he was facing the hallway. "That's just gross, man! That used to be a living and breathing--" he froze mid-sentence, his jaw becoming slack and hanging open.

Cyborg turned to see what finally shut BB's mouth up...and whistled! "Hot damn! What's the occasion?"

Raven blushed, not expecting his reaction. She looked down, wishing she still had her hood, or at least her cape. She felt exposed, and her bare arms felt naked.

By now, Robin and Starfire had turned their attention towards the commotion. "Friend Raven! How wonderful, you have chosen new and attractive apparel!" Starfire gushed, while Robin simply raised an eyebrow.

"Just...felt like a change," Raven managed lamely, barely audible to her fellow Titans.

Beast Boy's jaw unstuck. "You...you look great, Raven! Really!"

Raven, cheeks now burning from the attention, could only study the floor at a loss of what to do.

Cyborg, being a little more considerate of her embarrassment, pulled a chair back. "Here, I made waffles and bacon for breakfast, you're hungry right? Oh, and your tea...lemme brew you a cup--"

"Actually, I thought I'd try coffee today," she interjected, walking past a still staring Beast Boy to gratefully take the seat. "Black with sugar, please."

"No problem," Cyborg smiled, then inconspicuously kicked Beast Boy from behind, who yelped "What was that for?!". Robin turned back to the television, and Starfire, still beaming, started slurping happily away again.

Raven studied her hands, for a lack of anything else to look at, until Cyborg brought her her cup. She thanked him, and took a sip. It was bitter and sweet, and left a strange after taste, but the rich aroma was invigorating...it was something she could get used to.

By now, BB and Cy had resumed their rants where they had left off, and Starfire now sat next to Robin on the couch, instead of floating around. Raven finished her cup, and decided to forgo the waffles and bacon in favor of a walk. She wanted some fresh air and some sun, and for once she'd be able to get them without the stares or the requests for autographs; no one would recognize her as Raven of the Teen Titans.

She excused herself and thanked Cyborg again, before giving the boy wonder a curt word and exiting the room. Making her way to the elevator, she sighed. _Glad I got that outta the way...guess that went as well as could be expected_.

She took the lift down to the lobby and exited through the front door. She could have flown out of the window, or simply teleported, but she felt like taking the walk. She made her way down the rocky path out to the mainland, enjoying the bay breeze, crisp and cool from the morning. It was going to be a sunny day, but the air temperature was still a little chilly.

_Change is nice...I guess_.

Raven, with little effort, levitated off the ground. She had avoided it until now, but...she had to know. She floated up higher, until she was 20 feet high. Then, concentrating a little harder, she summoned up her powers. A boulder reluctantly lifted up from the side of the path, disturbing a few critters and causing ripples in the clear bay water. A flick of the wrist, and the boulder flew towards the big expanse of water, thrown by the black energy that was wrapped around it. Then, summoning up more energy, she tried to stop the boulder. It halted, mid-flight, right above the surface of the water. She then brought it back to her, and returned it to it's place in the shallow waters. Touching back down on the ground, Raven resumed her walk towards the mainland, thoughtful.

_I have more control now_, she thought. She had wondered what results her mental unity would harbor, but had been afraid to test it out. Until she exited through her door this morning, she had even feared that the loss of her Inner Realm would directly affect her ability to use magic. However, it seemed that it had the opposite effect.

_Control my emotions...and I control my powers_, she had been told up to this point. _Let them loose, and my powers become unstable_. But she no longer had that to worry about. In the end, she was relieved, but the habit of keeping herself cool and controlled was not something that was going to disappear over night.

Thoughtful, she inattentively made her way through Jump City, blending into the hustling and bustling crowds of a Saturday morning. Having originally planned to visit the local bookstore, she was headed in the direction of downtown Jump, when something caught her eye. She followed cautiously at a distance, continually blending in with the crowd, thankful of her new appearance.

* * *

Jinx arrived at the building. A duffel bag in hand and a backpack strapped on one shoulder, she hadn't had much to pack. The pink-haired witch opened the small, rusted gate and dropped her bags onto the stone path, which lead to the small homely edifice in downtown Jump. She looked up at the building, and managed to smile, nostalgic.

"I'm home..." she whispered to no one.

The house, which actually used to be a small three-story complex of flats, was her mother's only legacy. A single mother with a single child, Jinx didn't know how her mother did it, but she had managed to work hard and save up enough to buy this small plot. The renovations were all done by hand; her mother had been a hardy and resourceful worker, though she lacked a formal education. She was a jack-of-all-trades by profession, and had started off renting on the second floor, part-timing as the super. During the day, she was always off doing odd-jobs, whatever brought in extra cash. At nights, she waited at a modest local diner, the owner being a kindly older man Jinx remembered vaguely; he was very fatherly, even knowing she was a half-breed, and had been like a guardian to her.

Jinx smiled, having forgotten most of these memories. She made her way up the short, curving stone path. The grass was still green, and the flowers still well managed; someone had been taking care of the place while she had been gone. She unclipped her key chain, and selected an old bronze key; she hadn't held it for many years. And now, she slipped it into the slot and turned the lock barrel. Depressing the door handle, she swung the door inward.

The door didn't creak. She stepped into the house.

The wooden floorboards looked clean, the furniture without dust. A pair of shoes lay in the foyer. Jinx frowned, cautiously setting her bags down.

"Can I help you?"

Startled, Jinx looked up. She hadn't noticed the figure descending the stairs. She seemed to be young, in her twenties, with curt, dark brown hair that reached just past her shoulders. Her complexion was well-tanned, but not dark, but almost weathered; she must spend a lot of time outdoors. She had very familiar green eyes.

"What are you doing in my house?" Jinx asked, trying not to sound threatening.

"Oh! Molly! I'm so sorry," she descended the rest of the way down the stairs and to the foyer. "It's so good to see you again!" Catching Jinx off guard, she embraced the pink-haired witch.

Jinx raised an eyebrow. Molly was her given name, but no one had called her that for years.

Letting go, Lilly beamed, almost motherly. "You've grown so much!" Catching Jinx's confused expression, she chuckled. "You must be lost, I'm sorry, I should explain myself. I'm Lilly Wensirth, Dante's granddaughter."

Jinx's furrowed her eyebrows. _Dante_... "...the old man?" she asked. The silver-haired old man had been the one who owned the diner and employed Jinx's mother. She hadn't seen him in years, not since her mother had passed away. The deed to this property had been willed to him, as Jinx was too young and had no other living relatives, and he had been the closest semblance to a father figure in Jinx's life. And now that she thought of it, she vaguely remembered the old man had had a granddaughter...

"You probably don't remember me, but we met once when I was visiting grandpa a long time ago," Lilly grinned wistfully. Her expression dampened as she continued, and somehow Jinx knew what was coming next. "Grandpa...he passed away, a little less than a year ago. My parents are always traveling, so I'd been staying with Grandpa above the diner for a while, finishing up school here. I've grown kinda attached to the place," she smiled.

Jinx nodded. "I'm sorry for your loss. Been doing some traveling myself," she said, which technically wasn't a lie. "But why are you staying _here_ here...?"

Lilly understood her question. "After your mother passed, Grandpa used to come here every week, kept the place tidy and took care of the yard. He was very fond of this place, and of your mother. When I moved in with him, he used to take me along, showed me pictures and just talked about you two. Your mother was a good person, he saw her as a daughter...and you," she chuckled, "you were quite the handful, from what I hear."

Jinx couldn't help but laugh, bashfully scratching the back of her head.

Lilly chuckled, continuing, "Anyway, when Grandpa passed, he left the diner to me, and a key to this place. I couldn't stand staying above the diner alone though, it was too depressing...so I figured I'd work the diner days, and come sleep here at nights. Made it easier to keep this place clean too."

Now that she mentioned it, Jinx noticed that she was dressed in a yellow hostess' uniform.

"Grandpa was always worried about you running off after your mother passed. He wanted to make sure you felt at home if you ever came back. We packed all your mother's belongings onto the third floor, but we didn't move anything from your room. I'm sorry if I've imposed, I can always go back to grandpa's," Lilly said.

"No, no! Not at all, I should be apologizing to you. Thank you for taking care of this place for so long. And feel free to stay as long as you'd like, this place has plenty of room," Jinx said, relieved she wasn't going to be questioned about the details of her long absence.

Truth be told, Jinx felt a _strong_ sense of obligation to the old man and Lilly, and no small amount of regret. When her mother had passed, she couldn't stand being in the house alone either. Refusing to be comforted though, even by Dante, she had left and wandered through her childhood until she had joined the Academy. Now, for the first time in a long time, she was home again.

She couldn't help but wonder what life would have been like had she not run away. She would have had a family, and this girl would have been like a sister to her. She would never would have become a thief, a criminal, and a vagrant, never would have had a night of starvation or sleeping outside in the cold.

_No point in thinking like that,_ Jinx chided mentally.

"Thanks, it's nice to finally have some company," Lilly voiced. "Well, it's been very pleasant but I should be heading to the diner now to open up. Would you like to come grab some breakfast?"

At the mention of food, Jinx's stomach grumbled angrily. Laughing, Jinx accepted, "A real breakfast sounds good, I've been eating instant noodles for way too long now, hehe. I think I'm gonna unload and hit the shower first, though, I remember where the diner is."

"You're always welcome there," beamed Lilly. "Take your time and get settled, I'm running late, so I gotta go." She slipped her feet into her shoes and bid Jinx goodbye.

Closing the door after Lilly's departure, Jinx took her time to explore the house again. _She wasn't kidding_, Jinx noted; most of the furniture looked exactly as they were when she had last left. She took her bags and headed upstairs. Her room was on the second floor, down the hall on the left. Upon entering, she was filled with nostalgia. The walls were painted sunflower yellow, the comforter a soft daisy checkered linen. She walked over to the window and parted the drapes, letting the sunlight spill into her room.

Jinx smiled. The scent of her room was like...lilacs. Looking out onto the streets, Jinx felt content, at home, and happy. Maybe things were really going to take a turn for the better from now on.

_I'll turn a new leaf, build a new life_, she thought happily. She opened the window and perched her arms on the window sill, leaned out, like she used to as a child, smiling widely. _I've finally...found a home_.

Down below, on the sidewalk, a purple-haired figure watched the daydreaming girl.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.1)**: This chapter went through some considerable change in dialog between Jinx and Lilly's initial meeting, as well as the technical ownership of the property. My beta had pointed out several flaws, and I tried to salvage what I could. There were also a few questions raised in subject to Raven's lack of immediate recognition of Jinx, but unless it becomes a glaring problem, I'll be leaving it as is.

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: Whew! I've never written so much is such a short amount of time before, haha, I'm really trying to crunch it out fast while I have free time these few days, so I'm sorry about the short chapters. Anyway, thanks to all those who reviewed/PM'ed me, and those who favorited the story, it's really encouraging!

**Review Replies**:

The Tygre: glad to have caught your interest, I'll be sure to try my best x3!

Strgrl4eva: I was worried you didn't like the pairing lol but if that's the case, thank you! Pretty fast update, huh?

**Other Notes**: Well, to tell the truth I'm kinda beat. I might take a few days until my next update, so don't get used to the fast posts, haha. Thanks again, everyone, hope you're all having fun!

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	4. Chapter 4

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: Actually, to tell the truth, we secretly own-

Taki: Drops mallet, takes out a shotgun.

Bubby: -err, Teen Titans action figures! Haha, of course we don't own the Teen Titans themselves haha, ha, ha...

Rannison: Shakes his head. I'm guessing she's always on top, then...

Taki: Without looking, points the shotty at Rannison.

Rannison: STORY ON WITH—WITH ON STORY—ON WITH THE STORY!

* * *

**Chapter 4 (Ver. 1.1)**

It was her. She was positive it was her.

Raven leaned against the gate post nonchalantly until the brunette left before turning to look at the house again. She was sure she had just seen a HIVE member enter the property. Her hair looked different, and her clothes were well chosen to conceal and blend in, but her eyes betrayed her. They were remarkably feline, and danced at the forefront of Raven's memories, hailing a red flag.

_What should I do?_ She didn't know who the other one was, but she'd taken her picture with the T-comm unit; Cyborg would have a background on her done in 10 minutes if she sent it. _Call for backup? Or go in myself...it's possible she isn't alone._

Movement caught Raven's eye, and she turned upward. The second story window opened, and the culprit leaned out. Raven quickly ducked back behind the post; for a brief moment, she thought she'd been caught, but the HIVE member said nothing. Steeling herself, she peeked around the post again.

Raven's breath caught in her throat.

The girl took a deep breath, and then exhaled jubilantly. She then closed her eyes, receiving the warmth of the sun across her face, letting the breeze gracefully dance with her blonde hair. She was smiling. It was a natural smile, a contented smile, one that was carefree and expressed genuine, unconditional felicity, one that remembered innocence and knew no anguish or torment, but knew only the moment, here and now. Raven's heart stirred at the sight of it.

_Oh Azarath, she's beautiful_.

Raven didn't know where the thought came from, but standing there, looking up at the pale enchantress, in that moment she knew it to be irrevocably and undeniably true.

Raven leaned her head back against the post again. Her heart was pounding, as if she'd just ran a marathon. She realized an array of uncontrollable emotions were wracking through her. She tried to block them out, control them as she always had, but realized she couldn't. They were no longer tangible, detached reflections of herself, no longer entities that she could restrain or manipulate with will.

Fear. Excitement. Longing. Confusion. They barraged and shook Raven, physically and mentally. She'd never felt this way before in her life, had never been so utterly vulnerable a victim to emotion before.

_Is this because of the merging? I must be suffering some side-effect._

But she knew that to be only partially true. There was nothing wrong with her; in actuality, she was now perfectly fine...perfectly _mortal_. In the past, shattering her emotions into separate states had been a fail-safe, implemented by the Monastery. Detached from each facet, she would only be susceptible to certain emotions when they were aggravated beyond a borderline, thus minimizing the risk of summoning Trigon. Raven even made regular trips into her Inner Realm to consult her own emotions when she was troubled with issues and didn't even know what to feel.

But now, the rhetorical wall was not just broken down; it no longer even existed.

_What does all this have to do with _her_?_

Raven didn't know, but she didn't have time to dwell over it. For now she had to stay the course and abide to her duty.

She looked down at her communicator. _Call or not?_

A few seconds passed, before she lowered her hand again. _Fuck it_. Leaning around the post once again, she noticed the girl wasn't there anymore.

Reaching out with her mind, the empath sensed the girl's presence further inside the house.

_Jinx_.

The name popped into her mind, and Raven finally recalled which member she was from the HIVE. She was the accomplice of Gizmo and Mammoth, and they'd attempted several bank robberies a few years back. Raven had even fought with her on several occasions.

_She's changed_.

She must have dyed her hair and got a change of wardrobe, but Raven knew there was no mistaking those eyes. She remembered those predatory slits, conveying humor and steel behind them, like a playful cat ready to kill at its own whim. Several times, she found herself stalked by those same eyes in battle in the past.

_But what the hell is she doing here...? _ Raven wondered. Last she could recall, she had been replaced by someone else from the Academy, and the Titans had heretofore stopped receiving any reports involving her. Raven clearly remembered Robin puzzling over her case, speculating she'd either relocated or went clean (though he had doubted the latter).

Raven snapped another picture with the T-comm, this time of the address number on the house. Time would reveal everything; for now, Raven had to figure out the HIVE—or ex-HIVE—member's intentions, and whether or not she was an immediate threat.

Raven didn't have to wait long before she detected movement in the house again. A few minutes later, the front door opened.

* * *

She stared into the steamy mirror. Upon examining her hair, she saw that her roots had grown out again.

_Pink..._

A tell-tale ache gripped her heart, but she ignored it. Suppressing thoughts of the past, the young witch entered her bedroom.

Jinx felt rejuvenated from the shower. Having changed into another set of clothes, she had eyed her cap and coat with distaste, and eventually opted to take the risk of being identified over the uncomfortable attire.

The recent turn of events had revived her, and she felt a lot like her younger self: daring, carefree, and alive. Even if she did encounter any unfriendlies, she was still pretty confident in her own skill to defend herself.

Stepping out the front entrance, she locked the oaken door and proceeded down the stone path at a brisk pace. Making sure to close the gate securely behind her, Jinx made way towards her appointment, a clear bounce in her every step.

Several blocks en route, Jinx started to get a strange tingling feeling. She ignored it at first, but slowed down slightly. At the next corner, she made a left and continued down the sidewalk. The feeling intensified.

_I'm being followed_, she realized. Perhaps it was the feline side of her, but since she was a child Jinx had been abnormally sensitive to her environment.

She felt no hostility, and lacking a desire for any confrontation for now, she decided to ignore it but keep an eye out for anything suspicious. She continued her walk, and soon arrived at the diner.

_Always thought the old man had strange taste_, Jinx thought as she looked up at the name of the diner. _What in the world is that even suppose to mean? Oh well..._

She opened the heavy glass door, the bells attached to it ringing blithely, and walked in.

* * *

Raven released the breath she'd been holding in. For a second, she'd thought she'd been caught, though Azarath knew how the little witch could have possibly known. However, she'd just continued walking and eventually entered a humble looking eatery (actually, it looked more like a café than a restaurant). Raven waited a few minutes before following suit.

_Not bad_, was Raven's first thought. The establishment was cozy, to say the least. Light was let in sparingly through slightly tinted glass, creating a soothing and intimate ambiance. To her left, the lobby consisted of few tables and booths, spaced sparingly apart. The effect made the place seem roomy instead of confined. Not a good commercial strategy, but this was definitely her kind of place. To her right, a diner-style bar lined with rotating seats along with comfy-looking backrests filled up the other half of the small establishment. It was there that Jinx had seated herself.

Raven took a seat in one of the booths, taking care to make sure the subject was still in her line of sight. Jinx was chatting with one of the waitresses, whom Raven recognized as the brunette she'd seen this morning. Her name tag read Lilly. From her position, Raven was unable to hear their conversation, but they seemed very buoyant.

_I hate to admit, but they don't look anything like a pair of criminals masterminding a heist_, Raven mused. But she, better than anyone, knew looks could deceive. However, she was going to go with her intuition and assume the witch wasn't going to be an immediate threat.

Then, there was also the matter of the other Titans.

_Why haven't I called this in yet? I'm breaking protocol...Robin's going to rip me a new one if he finds out._

Still, she had a nagging feeling that she should just leave things be here. Deciding to continue to simply observe from a distance, Raven stayed in her seat.

Another waitress eventually came to take her order; Raven ordered tea, having declined it earlier this morning. It was still a few hours until noon, so the place was pretty slow. She watched as Jinx stopped talking and began chowing down.

_That girl could hold her own against BB and Cy in an eating contest_, Raven thought with no small amount of amusement.

Without warning, Raven's T-Comm went off in her pocket.

_SHIT!_

Raven watched with dread as the thief whipped her head around to make eye contact.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.1)**:

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: There ya go! Despite my own request for some rest, I've been possessed by my own desire to further the story, and ended up crunching out another chapter xP haha. It's a little shorter than the last, but it felt like a good place to end it (and it's about time I knocked out for a bit, I haven't slept at all).

**Rants (Don't read unless you wanna be bored outta your mind lol)**: Some of you may have felt this chapter was overly...how to put it...dramatic. Well, please keep in mind, Raven has only just been exposed to the full spectrum of human emotions for the first time in more than a decade, something that would probably be so overwhelming it'd knock any normal person into the local daft house in real life. As for Jinx, all I can say is this: have you ever lived isolated, by yourself, with no contact with friends, family, or acquaintances for more than a year? I've made it two months before, and I can honestly say it was the most horrible two months of my life since I've moved out on my own. Trust me, you'd be ecstatic too if at that point you found any semblance of a friend or family.

I also wanted to accent a particular similarity between the two characters. As this story is based later into the Teen Titans time line, the characters are older, and therefore more mature. However, they retain immature features in their basic personality traits. For Raven, it's obviously her emotions, and her ability to cope and deal with them, conflicting with her colder and more logical mentality. For the younger of the two, Jinx, her childish demeanors, reminiscences, and naiveté, conflicting with her more cynical outlook in life, deriving from her experiences of surviving on her own and her losses. It may make them come off as being OOC at times, but truly I believe this only adds more depth to them as serious characters, and makes room for growth and development, a vital part in any relationship.

And as for the relationship itself...haha, just be patient x3 it'll come in time.

**Review Replies**:

DF: Well, to tell the truth, I didn't know what in the world I was going to name her, but at the time I was writing that part I was listening to Anna Molly. That song always reminds me of my cousin, Molly, whom I realized uncannily reminds of me Jinx, haha! So what the heck, I stuck it in and didn't think twice x3! Haha, hope it's not that much of a bother, I won't be referring to her by that name many times anyway xP. And don't tell Molly about this, she'll hex me to death...shudder.

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	5. Chapter 5

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Rannison: Whispering Is she gone...?

Bubby: ...I think so...

Rannison: ...Alright, let's do this...

Bubby: Turns to reader, clears throat...**Mad Cackling!** Despair! Mourn! Grieve! Because all the hot, sexy, female Teen Titan babes belong to-

Taki: Kicks down the door, katana in hand, and death in her eyes!

Bubby & Rannison: NOT OURS! NOT OURS! NOT OURS! AAAHHHHHH!

High pitched and feminine wailing ensue...

...Later...

Taki: Ahem! On with the story! Smiles cheerfully and widely, blood still splattered across her cheeks.

Bubby & Rannison: Whimper...

* * *

**Dedication:** Wolfkcing's "Pitch and Pink" _really_ inspired me to write a romance with Raven and Jinx as a pairing! If you haven't yet, please go read his story!

* * *

**Chapter 5 (Ver. 1.1)**

"Oh...my...God..."

Lilly looked at Jinx, worried. "What's wrong?"

Jinx slowly, _very_ slowly, looked up at Lilly, tears in her eyes. Lilly's heart skipped a beat. "Jinx?"

"That...was..."

"Was...?"

"..._the BEST crépe I've ever had in my life_!"

Lilly just about face-faulted, as Jinx began to rapidly devour and decimate the plate in front of her. Lilly worried the little pink-haired witch might just accidentally ingest the plate itself.

"J-Jinx, you can slow down! There's plenty more where that came from," Lilly chipped in, actually a little frightened. She'd never seen any human being eat so...so..._passionately_.

Jinx, upon the mention of more crépes, froze mid-inhalation, and with teary eyes and quivering bottom lip (though the latter was blocked from view by a half-slain crépe) peered up at Lilly again. "Rearry?" she asked tearfully, mouth still stuffed full.

Instead of answering, Lilly (against her better judgment) simply set another plate full of crépes in front of Jinx.

Flames engulfed Jinx's eyes, as she swallowed and bellowed to the plate, "**I will **_**end**_** you!**"

Lilly burst into an uncontrollable fit of laughter as Jinx began dominating the second plate with gleeful abandon. Clutching her sides, she laughed until her eyes teared up. "Oh my- oh goodness! Hahaha!" _Things are going to be more lively with her around_, Lilly thought warmly.

Minutes later, Jinx washed down her last bite with a chug of ice cold soda. She leaned back into her seat (who groaned in protest), patting her tummy with a great deal of satisfaction. "Thanks, Lil'!" she said. "I haven't had a meal like that in a long time."

Lilly smiled warmly, "I'm glad you liked it! You're welcome to eat here, free of charge, anytime." _Where does it all go? Look at her, she's scrawnier than _I_ am!_ Lilly wondered enviously.

Before Jinx could reply, a melodic series of beeping and chirping rang out. Lilly, accustomed to cell phones going off in the diner, didn't have much of a reaction to it, and simply turned back to Jinx to speak; however, Jinx's expression caught her off guard.

The young girl transformed before her eyes.

Gone was the carefree smile, the cheerful sunniness that had seemingly permeated from the girl earlier. She looked like she had just been slapped, stunned into some appalling stupor or shock. Her eyes were now unfocused, and scarily, the first word that came to Lilly's mind to describe her gaze was 'despair'.

The sight just about broke Lilly's heart. "Jinx...? What's wrong?"

Jinx whipped her head around, glaring at the source of the melody.

Lilly watched as one of the patrons, a pale-skinned girl with deep violet hair, stood up.

* * *

_Fuck, fuck, fuck!_

Raven swore, giving mental vows of pain to whomever was currently on the other end of the communicator.

She watched haplessly as Jinx whipped her head around.

_What the hell do I do now?_

Unable to keep her usual composed facade, Raven was now experiencing her very first dose of genuine panic.

_Confront her? Or get the hell outta here?_

Raven forcibly calmed herself. The fight or flight reflex, along with a surge of adrenaline that now coursed through her blood stream, made her body feel like it was thrumming.

She was aware that Jinx, as well as the confused looking waitress, had their full attention focused on her. Raven rose from her seat, her T-Comm still going off in her pocket.

By now, Jinx had risen from her seat as well. The two magic users locked eyes.

_Those eyes...it's like she's trying to look into my mind..._

Jinx, growing impatient, barked out, "Are you going to answer that or what?"

Raven swallowed a lump in her throat. Hesitating briefly, Raven reached into her pocket, slowly, as to not startle the witch, and pulled out the yellow communicator. She flipped it open.

On the screen, the boy wonder's face appeared. "What is it?" Raven inquired flatly, trying her best to sound casual.

"You took a while to answer...is everything okay? You've been gone a few hours." In actuality, it wasn't out of the ordinary at all for Raven to be gone during the day, she frequented a local café most weekends and the other Titans were no strangers to that fact. She realized Robin had filed away this morning's incident into his head, despite outwardly appearing not to care at the time, and worried about her, he was calling now just to make sure nothing was awry. _That's what makes him our leader_, Raven thought with a grudging respect for the boy.

At the peripheral of her vision she caught Jinx fixated intently on her, obviously waiting to see how she would reply. She brought her eyes back up to meet the witch's. She saw the telltale tremble, the despairing eyes, but saw no hostility...only fear and disappointment. Then, she remembered the sight of the girl just half an hour ago, leaning out the window, basking in the sun.

_...not pink...Amethyst. She has Amethyst eyes._

A peculiar feeling suddenly came upon Raven, one she couldn't identify, but couldn't brush aside either.

Keeping her eyes on the girl across from her, she answered Robin.

* * *

Jinx, despite her appearance, was on the verge of tears.

_Shoulda known everything was going too good to last_, she berated herself. _No such thing as second chances for people like me._

Raven looked up from her communicator to make eye contact with her again.

_Now Wonder Boy and everyone will know I'm back. Assuming I can take Raven on—and that's a _**big** _if_—_I still won't be able to take all five of them by myself. I'll be on the run again, this time on my own, and when they catch me, it'll be game over...no dream home to stay at, and no get-out-of-jail-free cards for Jinxy this time around._

"I'm fine. Just having some tea."

Jinx, who had been mentally preparing herself for a number of different scenarios about to ensue, couldn't help but stare at Raven with her mouth slack, dumbfounded. _What the hell?_ She felt her hopes involuntarily rise up within herself, and tried to quell them immediately. _She's up to something, she's going to tell them, she's tricking you!_ But she couldn't make a move, could only watch the strange scene unfold.

"I'll take care of my own dinner, tell Cy not to wait up for me." And just like that, the dark haired girl slid the communicator back into her pocket, as if nothing at all had happened, as if she weren't standing in a face-off with a wanted criminal in a diner just a few mere miles from the tower of the Titans. Jinx, still unable to accept that that was simply it, stood her ground, trying to read the stoic Titan's unreadable expression.

To Jinx's utmost astonishment, Raven sat back down again and picked up her cup.

"Th—that's it?" she couldn't help but exclaim, flustered beyond articulate speech.

The darker girl took a sip of her tea, chamomile, then replied, "That's it."

Flabbergasted, Jinx's mouth hung open but no words could come to her. _The nerve of her!_

Raven calmly picked up a magazine provided by the establishment and opened it.

Still not quite believing the scene unfolding before her, Jinx's eyes narrowed.

"Why?" she asked finally.

"Why what?" Raven returned without looking up from the mag.

"Don't play dumb with me! Why didn't you tell them?"

Raven put the magazine down, finally meeting her eyes again. "Are you going to attack me?"

"No..."

"Are you going to rob me?"

"No!" Jinx replied, annoyed.

"Then there's nothing to tell," Raven said simply, then picked up the magazine again, eyes disappearing behind it.

Jinx was confused beyond belief now. _What the hell_, she ground out in her head, _what is she up to?_ Taking a seat across from the dark-haired hero, she stared at the girl intently. Raven continued to ignore her. Jinx didn't even know _what_ to feel anymore, the whole situation and taken a turn into Alice's proverbial Wonderland.

"You followed me here."

She saw Raven's hand tighten on the paper with surprise, but the girl didn't deny, nor provide any reply to, her statement.

"If you didn't come here to pinch me, then...why _did_ you follow me?"

Raven put the magazine down again. This time Jinx noticed something. The pages that Raven had been staring at so intently this entire time consisted of two large picture ads. So unless the Titan was in the market for a Rolex and a pack of cigarettes...she was doing a piss poor job of pretending to read. She looked back up at the dark heroine as she answered.

"I...felt like some tea."

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.1)**: No changes to this chapter, it seems to be pretty well done as is. Doesn't mean it's perfect though, so please send me critiques if you notice any anomalies!

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: _Finally!_ This chapter was obviously short, but it took _forever and a day_ to write! I kept going back, deleting whole scenes, rewriting, hacking it apart, and doing it all over again and again. I just couldn't capture the right feel I wanted for this particular story, and kept lapsing into my usual prose; in the end, I ended up going back and hacking whole parts out of this chappy. I _sincerely_ desire for IAAL to be a lighthearted piece, maybe even humorous or fluff-filled. To be perfectly honest, I've never attempted anything of the nature, everything I've ever written has always been serious, solemn or angsty. So dear readers, I am sorry if this chapter seemed a little awkward x3!

PS: In order to try to capture the mood I wanted, I listened to "Can't Help Falling in Love" as sung by the A Teens in Pop 'Til You Drop for two days straight! I think it's a _really_ cute song, especially when I apply it to Raven and Jinx as a couple x3!

**Rants: **I've had several people comment on my POV (point of view) switches. As you have now most likely noticed, I'm quite fond of the closed-singular-third-person POV; it has an omniscient feel that the first-person POV's lack, yet still retains a very personal feel to the character in focus, and since I want this to be a very character-driven piece, I think it suits the story well, though the transitions may seem very jumpy to some readers. (Btw, I'm an _avid_ fan of Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Nora Roberts, so maybe that's having an influence on my expressive style as well x3.) However, I'm always open to improvements, so please let me know if you think I should make any changes.

And yes, I have been, and will be, replying to _every single person_ who reviews my story. Every author (that I know of) is always pleased to hear from his or her readers, but I find exceptional pleasure from feedback; you guys are the ones who keep me going! So thank you all for your reviews and responses, and I hope you will all continue to gift me with your thoughts!

**Review Replies**:

DF: Haha, sorry, I'm not trying to drag the story out or anything. I just really want Raven and Jinx's eventual attraction to be something natural, something _real_; I want people reading this to almost feel as if these are two very real people who develop very real feelings for each other. It's disappointing how most stories with this pairing seem to consist of unreasonably hasty attraction, followed by raunchy scenes, dashed in with a bit of drama and action to liven it all up, and then they call it a day. Call me a romantic if you want, but that's not my idea of how a real love story goes x3. Anyway, sorry, I'm ranting again xD. I'm glad you liked the first scene between Raven and Jinx, and yes, the complexity of human emotions is exactly what I'm trying to express through Raven :3. Sorry I took a while to update on this one, but here you go!

Djevel: I'm glad you liked the way I ended the chapter :3, and I'm most _definitely_ glad that that chapter didn't come off as being over-dramatic. So far I've only caught one typo (in ch.1, I spelled tome as tomb, scary xD), and none in grammar, but please feel free to correct me if you ever find any.

Spikesagitta: Thanks, this pairing is quickly becoming my favorite :3. I believe I ranted about POV's somewhere up there, so you can read it if you're not feeling lazy, haha xD. Oh! And thank you for adding my story to your C2 archive x3!

Ranko Lina Inverse: Yup, my setup with Raven's emotions is actually the singular idea that spawned this story. As for Jinx's background, the series (which I watched only parts of, and that was a _long_ time ago) didn't seem to give me much to work off of. I haven't read any of the comics, old or new, so I'm abashed to say that I built up my mental profile of Jinx from other fan fictions and fan arts. I have Spikesagitta's C2 archive ("The Raven and the Witch") to thank, actually, it helped me find a lot of inspiration!

The Tygre: I'm honored by your words! I couldn't agree with you more about the pace of most fan fictions of this pairing. I hope to continue to keep up to your expectations :3!

Taki/RulerxTaki: Ahem grinning sheepishly, allow me to introduce to everyone my girlfriend and roommate, Taki! Haha xD my disclaimers feature her as...well, the way I would picture her to be as an anime character xD haha. "Bubby" is actually the nickname she gave me before we first started dating, and is to this day what she calls me still. Rannison, obviously, is my pen name :D. I think everyone should take an example from her and be mercilessly critical of my writing (I hope that doesn't come back to haunt me Dx)!

Strgrl4eva: Than you so much! I'll continue to reply to your every comment :3 and hopefully continue to entertain you!

Crimsonshrouds: I'm glad you like my story, and yes, this pairing _is_ always interesting. Sorry for the lag in updating, but here you go!

CP AkA Crazy: Updated! xD

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	6. Chapter 6

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: Teen Titans, you will be mine!

Taki: The day you own Teen Titans is the day the world ends.

Rannison: How cliché.

**WHACK!**

Bubby: Looks at the unconscious author. Err. On with the story!

* * *

**Dedication:** Wolfkcing's "Pitch and Pink" _really_ inspired me to write a romance with Raven and Jinx as a pairing! If you haven't yet, please go read his story!

* * *

**Chapter 6 (Ver. 1.0)**

Jinx opened her eyes to quiet twilight. She was in a yellow room—_her_ room—and couldn't remember how she got there. Attempting to sit up, a faint sense of dizziness hummed in her head.

A cool breeze met her from the opened window, and outside, the violet dusk soothed the eye and mind.

With a start, Jinx realized she wasn't alone. Half-sitting in a chair and leaning on the bed, violet hair was resting on pale arms next to Jinx.

Jinx's heart skipped a beat when she recognized the quietly sleeping figure. Raven lay on her arms on one cheek, rhythmically respiring deep, gentle breaths. It was the first time Jinx had ever seen such a serene expression grace the dark enchantress' face, and Jinx found the girl to be surprisingly attractive.

Her pale skin, normally haunting in appearance beneath the dark foreboding hood, now seemed pleasantly soft. A few violet strands fell over her closed eyes, which were no longer scrunched into a scowl or frown, but relaxed completely. Strangely, the girl looked much younger and more vulnerable in slumber.

With a stir, the girl opened her eyes. Quickly, the girl straightened up, her face falling back into a mask of frigidity.

Silence hung thick in the awkward air, before Jinx spoke with quiet amusement.

"Sleep well?"

* * *

_Earlier_

* * *

"That was quite the show."

Raven looked up from her cup. She found the brunette—Lilly—standing before her now. This was her first meeting with the woman eye to eye, and Raven found herself slightly started. Her eyes, which appeared brown at first glance but quickly reaffirmed themselves as hazel, were soft. Her silken alto voice matched her gaze, and Raven sensed that she was a very gentle individual.

"Sorry...didn't mean to bring trouble."

"Is she in any?"

Raven paused, not knowing how to respond. The girl's concern for a certain pink-haired witch was not lost on her. She didn't know who this person was to Jinx, but come to think of it, she didn't know anything about Jinx at all.

"No," she finally answered. "For now, no."

Lilly took in the answer and seemed to deem it adequate, as she said nothing more. She turned away and walked back around the counter.

Raven merely began nursing her cup again, though the contents had long ago turned chilled. She found her eyes wandering to the glass door, and the bells that had rang out angrily as Jinx had stormed out just earlier.

_What am I doing here?_

The empath felt lost. Before, the world had been a clear painting in her mind's eye. The coats had consisted of black and white. The landscaping was chiseled into dark, precise lines. But now, everything had become an incomprehensible swirl of grayscales, and ambiguity seemed to have taken over as the general theme, masking the clear pictures that lay hidden underneath the pandemonium.

Her eyes flooded Raven's mind again, the impish gleam that resonated out from amethyst colored quartz. Her vulnerable and trepid gaze, hidden behind the tempered spirit seeking to fight back. And her serene and carefree countenance, as she had leaned out of her window a few agelong hours ago. Raven's inner turmoil thickened, bringing to surface foreign feelings, unfamiliar emotions that continually writhed within her.

A ceramic tea pot started her out of her thoughts, invading her immediate field of vision to pour its contents into the cup she was gripping tightly in her slightly trembling hands.

"I find that sometimes when I'm troubled by something, no matter how long or how hard I fret over it or analyze it, no easy answer comes of dwelling on it. You'll only give yourself a headache," Lilly said as she poured. She set the pot down on the table, and took a seat in the booth, facing Raven.

Raven studied the girl before her, not sure how to take her words. Her gentle eyes spoke of wisdom that betrayed her age, and conveyed a warm sense of compassion.

"I don't know who you are or what business you have with 'Jinx', and moreover I don't assume to know what kind of life Jinx has lead in the past years." The girl's eyes showed sudden and startling clarity and perception, and caught Raven's guard off again. She continued, "However, if there's one thing I know it's that I'm an exceptional judge of character."

Raven listened intently, giving the girl her full attention.

"Jinx is a good person, capable of—perhaps even acutely sensitive to—feeling pain, loneliness, and love. I knew her and her family as a child..." here, Lilly seemed to falter a bit. "I admit, she's changed, a lot. I nearly didn't recognize her today. But somehow, when I'm with her...I still see the child in her." Chuckling to her self, she shook her head, "That sounds silly, doesn't it? But it's true. In a way, Jinx grew up too fast...but never really grew up."

Raven thought she understood a little of what the woman before her was trying to say. She merely nodded silently, sipping the steaming contents of her cup, having nothing to contribute.

"What are your intentions?" Lilly finally asked directly.

"I...don't know," Raven answered truthfully. What _did_ Raven intend to do? Things had happened so suddenly, one thing following the next, she had temporarily lost sight of what drove her to her every action. _Why hadn't I just filed a report? Why did I follow her, on my own, and then let her run off?_

Raven chided herself, no point in thinking of what had already occurred; she had followed the girl trying to determine whether or not she was going to be a threat to the safety of Jump, Raven's utmost priority and responsibility as a Titan. And based on what she saw today, she had no concrete, or even circumstantial, evidence that Jinx was up to anything. So what was she going to do now? Pretend none of this had taken place, and go back to the tower? Continue to the bookstore, and put all of this away from her mind? Raven wasn't quite sure how to go from here.

"Well, I have to get back to my work. Lunch rush isn't that far off," and with that, Lilly stood and straightened out her uniform. "Good luck...?"

Catching her pause, Raven answered. "Raven. My name is Raven."

Lilly smiled at her. "Raven. That's a beautiful name."

Raven merely blushed, as Lilly took her leave. She sat in thought for a few more moments, when for the second time that day, her T-Comm went off.

Raven frowned. Robin wouldn't bother her a second time, unless...

* * *

_Oh fuck. I'm so. Fucking. Screwed._

Earlier, Jinx had stormed out the diner. She had let the Titan get to her with her mind games, but more importantly, she had been...scared. She didn't know why the empath hadn't told her teammates about her yet, but it didn't mean she wasn't going to. At any moment, the dark Titan and her team could take from her the shattered life she was trying to rebuild for herself.

_It just isn't fair!_ she had thought, _what's a gal gotta do to get a second chance around here?_

She didn't know what the dark girl was up to, but she didn't want to stick around any longer to find out. She knew she couldn't avoid the Titans; they had the resources to track down almost any wanted criminal they chose. But she needed distance, needed to clear her head, needed to _think_. Of course, she expected to run into the Titans eventually, and had thought she'd know what to do when the time came, but she just didn't expect it to happen so _soon_!

And it was with that thought that Jinx had rounded the corner, only to hear a shrill alarm going off. It was a very familiar sound.

_Oh shit_.

Three figures burst out the front doors of the bank in broad daylight, seemingly fearless of any imminent threats of apprehension. One of them noticed Jinx immediately.

"Well, well, well, look who it is! If it isn't our old teammate Jinx! How's the traitor life goin' for ya?" a childly voice had rubbed out snobbishly.

Jinx stood stock still, as the other two heads turned to her direction.

_Oh yeah. Screwed doesn't even begin to describe what I am._

"Gizmo...Mammoth..." she acknowledged, not recognizing the third member of their party.

"So this is the traitorous bitch I replaced?" The caustic addition to the duo was dressed in all green. Her gaze was brimmed with malice and contempt.

Mammoth said nothing, seemingly refusing to acknowledge Jinx's presence.

The girl in green smirked, dropping her bags at her sides. Then, without further warning, struck.

She was fast, any normal person wouldn't have reacted in time. Jinx, however, had the reflexes of a cat, and parried instantly with her left arm. With her right, she slung a hex—

A fist connected to her face solidly, flinging her across the concrete. Jinx caught the ground with one hand, reducing her inertia, and allowed her legs to swing over and back underneath her, landing neatly on all four. Her eyes narrowed, comprehension dawning.

"That's right, little girl," the new HIVE member hissed, voice dripping with venom, "your silly little hex charms won't work on me. If you wanna beat me, you're gonna have to do it hand-to-hand."

Gizmo tittered in a nettlesome manner, while Mammoth continued to look in the other direction, ignoring the scene unfolding.

Jinx did not miss Mammoth's disregard. Of her teammates, she had been closest to the brutish adolescent. He may not hate her, but he wasn't going to be forgiving her any time in the foreseeable future. She wanted to say something to him, but words were lost to her. She knew, for her own sake, she was going to have to fight against her former allies and...friend.

"Where are you looking?"

Jinx jumped into the air just in time to avoid the kick that would have planted itself into her sternum. She brought her legs up in a crunching maneuver, causing her body to rotate backwards, until she was heels-over-head, and crossed her arms while straightening out, letting gravity pull her downwards. The girl, who had lost her balance for a second from the unexpected lack of contact, took the hit square on the back of her neck.

_What do you know? I guess Physical Combat class came in handy after all_, Jinx smirked, having never had a taste for what she saw as strong-armed brawling. With the new girl out of commission, she turned to her former team members.

Gizmo was growling with displeasure, and Mammoth finally turned to look at Jinx.

"Fudruckin' bitch! Looks like I'll have to-"

Mammoth stepped forward, cutting off the boy genius.

"Mammoth...I don't want to fight you," Jinx said softly, her voice imploring.

The large teen merely cracked his neck, her plea unheard. Without a word, he hulked toward her, quickly closing in the distance between them at a steady gait.

Jinx hesitated one second too long. Flinging two hex spells, which the brute blocked simply by raising his arm in front of him, she tried to jump away from the juggernaut. Mammoth, having fought along side her many times, anticipated her direction of evasion, leaping into the air simultaneously, and took an open-palmed swipe. It connected, sending Jinx crashing into the storefront wall across the street. The force of contact was too great for Jinx to compensate, all the witch could do was tuck her head forward and let her body take the impact with the wall. Even as she connected with brick, Mammoth was plodding rapidly toward her again.

Jinx regained her footing, but the shock caused her some temporary disorientation. She dodged to the side sloppily as a giant fist flew towards her, coming out of the roll with a faux pas, tripping over her own foot.

_I'm dead_, was her only thought as a second clout came for her.

Mammoth's fist connected with a loud and sickening **CRACK!**

Jinx watched in shock through a dark, semi-transparent ripple in the air in front of her as Mammoth howled in pain, staggering back and cradling his bloodied fist.

Gizmo shouted, "It's those stinkin' Titans! Let's scram!"

The Teen Titans arrived together, and engaged the two HIVE members. Thankful that the attention had been shifted off of her, Jinx quickly got to her feet and tried to slip away unnoticed. The action of getting up, turning, and attempting to run, however, was a mistake in her current state. Dizziness gripped her again, and she ended up falling forward once more catching herself on one hand.

_Shit_, she thought, nausea rolling through her in intense waves. She closed her eyes tightly, just barely willing the urge to hurl the contents of her stomach away.

Jinx opened her eyes...or tried to. A few blinks confirmed that her eyes were indeed open, but...she couldn't see anything. It was pitch black. The darkness around her seemed to hum, as if withholding a static charge, reminding Jinx of a desert electric storm. Jinx also felt another presence, all around her. Claustrophobia now joined nausea in clutching her internal organs, clamping her heart and quickening her breathing.

Then, a second later, light made contact with her retinas again, and she found herself kneeling on familiar stone, sunlight stinging her rapidly contracting pupils. Looking up, she saw the door to her house in front of her. Relief rushed through her with a surge of warmth, and her vision unfocused. Slumping forward, the last thing Jinx felt was a pair of warm arms catching her.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.1)**: Made a small change in the beginning, nothing that affects the story as a whole. Also, some people may be confused, but the chronology of the chapter is short; from Jinx's fight and passing out to waking up, it's only a few hours. As for why Raven was in her room, that remains to be seen in the next chapter!

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: To be honest, I'm letting the story drive itself now, and I'm simply going with the ride. There were some awkward parts and scenes, but I kept going back and smoothing them out, and here's the end result! I realize the pace is pretty slow, I'll try to pick it up with the next few chapters.

**Review Replies**:

Spikesagitta: Thanks :3!

Crimsonshrouds: Haha, I actually thought about it but I didn't think it'd be very realistic, though it would've been amusing x3. Hehe, don't smudge your monitor or you can't read the next chapter xD.

Ranko Lina Inverse: Thank you! 'Cute' is even better than what I was going for, so you compliment me xD haha.

CP AkA Crazy: Haha, I'm craving tea too, now. Anyway, this one was slightly longer, so hope you enjoy!

Strgrl4eva: Thank you! And I unfortunately don't know what line you are referring to, but if I can unintentionally give Raven lines that actually exist in the series, then I'll take that as a sign that I'm getting her character down better than I expected xD haha.

Chibichoco: I'm glad you liked the chapter and my POV's. Here's the update!

Blimey The Toad: Hehe, you're right about that, we _do_ need more of this pairing. Thanks for reading, hope you continue to read!

RulerxTaki: Well, you continue to be the only not holding back with critiques :3! Thanks for the tips behb, I'm having trouble deciding just to what degree of childishness I want Jinx to express, since they're suppose to be older. And I'll keep your weapon of choice in mind next time :3.

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	7. Chapter 7

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Taki: Teen Titans do not belong to us.

Bubby: And a few Easter Eggs in the story are references to the film "The Returner", and do not belong to us.

...Expectant Pause...

Rannison: O.o What, nothing bad's gonna happen?

**!STRUCK BY LIGHTNING!**

Bubby: Just had to tempt fate, didn't you?

Taki: Anyway, on with the story!

* * *

**Dedication:** Wolfkcing's "Pitch and Pink" _really_ inspired me to write a romance with Raven and Jinx as a pairing! If you haven't yet, please go read his story!

* * *

**Chapter 7 (Ver. 1.0)**

"You're not serious?"

Beast Boy's incredulous expression didn't cause Robin's composure to waver any bit.

"Dude! What if she's in danger? I mean, come on! That was, like, a wanted criminal! Pink hair with the horns? Always robbing banks and crap? Remember?"

"Can it, Beast Boy. You saw what was happening, the HIVE was targeting her. Besides, Raven can take care of herself, she'll be fine."

"It's all probably just a tri-"

"_I said can it_!" Robin burst out, causing the green Titan to fall into a contemptuous silence. Beast Boy walked away, fuming.

Robin sighed, already regretting loosing his temper. Checking again to make sure the unconscious HIVE members were all securely bound, he waited for the authorities to arrive.

"Don't worry about BB, I'll go talk to him," Cyborg said as he approached Robin, apparently having heard the exchange.

"Thanks, Cy..." Robin left off, distracted by thoughts.

Of course Robin was worried about the dark Titan. Robin wasn't ignorant, he caught a lot of things that were going on, he simply chose not to speak of them most of the times.

He had an idea of what Raven was going through. With her father gone, he had secretly hoped she would start breaking out of her self-imposed prison. But if there was one thing that wouldn't change, Robin knew it was Raven's sense of responsibility. Of all the Titans besides himself, Robin truly believed Raven was next in line for being the most cut out to be leader of the team. With her emotions under control, Raven would posses all of the major qualities Robin was looking for.

Now, he hoped that that sense of responsibility would keep her out of trouble.

_She must have her own reasons, doing what she did, _Robin thought, though he wished he was more sure of himself. The Teen Titans were no longer a bunch of teens. _Well, with the exception of Beast Boy, _Robin chuckled to himself_. _But he couldn't keep bossing them around forever, they had to start making decisions for themselves. In this line of work, you never knew when a crime-fighter's career would be prematurely 'terminated'.

Robin's thoughts turned to his own past and Batman, how much he had used to despised the older man. Looking back, he understood what the dark knight had been trying to do, and though he would never openly admit it, he was grateful.

As the sirens approached from the distance, Robin's thoughts now turned to Jinx, and what he was going to do about her.

Robin didn't have many solid facts. But fact is, two years ago, Jinx left the HIVE Academy. A year later, she disappeared off the grid. Since then, no arrest records, and no criminal reports were filed against her. An occasional sighting implied she was still in the country, but many were contradictory in terms of location and time. And now, a year later, the pink-haired girl shows up again in Jump City, and gets attacked by the HIVE.

So now what? Even if the girl wasn't working with the Academy, it didn't mean she wasn't a wanted criminal, and it definitely didn't mean she had gone clean. He would be taking a risk if he didn't flag her presence, despite Raven's actions as his subordinate and as a Titan.

_Everyone deserves a second chance._

The words popped into his head involuntarily. Robin remembered stating his firm belief in this on several occasions.

_The last occasion being Terra_, he thought grimly.

The police arrived, and a special convoy began securing and transporting the HIVE members away. An officer approached Robin to take his statement.

Robin finally decided. _Let's hope that tragedy doesn't repeat itself_, Robin thought, as he began to account the story, leaving out a certain pink-haired witch.

* * *

"Sleep well?"

The air hung thick with nearly tangible awkwardness as Raven jolted out of her nap. Jinx watched as Raven blink a few times, and then unconsciously raised her right hand, rubbing the sleep away from her eyes with her palm.

The motion was strangely innocent and childish, and Jinx suddenly had an insane urge to _giggle_. The Dark Titan, childlike and cute? If that ever got out from Jinx's mouth, she'd be thrown into a loony bin for sure!

Raven, now wide awake, began to study the blanket intently, as if she'd never seen one before. She refused to look up.

_Is she...embarrassed? Shy?_ Jinx thought, shocked, and admittedly a little amused, by Raven's demeanor. Excluding today, she'd only ever met the dark sorceress in combat before. And in all those encounters, the Titan had been everything her reputation had said she'd be: shady, mysterious, fearsome, and a heart of ice. Jinx remembered that even in the heat of battle, Raven had worn a mask of cold indifference, her face revealing no emotions.

Was that really the same girl as the one who sat before her now, fidgeting and unsure of herself?

Jinx studied the uncomfortable girl, who seemed uncertain of what to do. She realized she'd never seen the girl without her hood throwing a shadow over her facial features, and she drank them in now. Her skin was pale and creamy, the color reminding her of lunar luminescence, and her eyes were a deep violet, matching the color of her dark, flowing hair. A small, red jewel was embedded in the center of her forehead, which Jinx suspected was a relic of some sort for her powers. She was dressed casually, the sleeveless shirt showing off more of her slim body than Jinx had ever seen.

Feeling strangely more comfortable now, despite the unusual circumstances she found herself in, Jinx couldn't help but smile.

"Why did you stay?"

Raven seemed to mule over her next words before responding. "You hurt your head. I would have taken you to the hospital, but..."

Jinx didn't need her to finish her sentence to know what would have happened. As soon as she'd woken up, Jinx would have been apprehended and taken in for questioning, even if all her warrants were expired.

"I couldn't just leave you here alone, not knowing your condition...whether or not you'd wake up again."

_She was...worried about me?_ Jinx thought with surprise.

"Why?" she asked. "Why did you help me? Why all this?"

The question embodied everything that Jinx currently felt. She was confused, so confused; everything she had pegged about the dark Titan was turning out to be untrue or contradictory to what she was seeing.

"You didn't turn me in or report me the first time you saw me. You deliberately didn't tell Wonder Boy about me. And now...you save my life and keep me out of jail," Jinx finished. "What was it all for?"

"I...don't know." Raven muttered.

"You don't know?" Jinx blinked. "I'm...your enemy, aren't I?"

"You didn't do anything wrong." Raven seemed to be convincing herself as well.

"Somehow, I doubt you make a habit of giving crooks the benefit of the doubt," Jinx speculated.

This received no response, as Raven ignored her, opting to give Jinx's yellow checkered comforter her undivided attention.

"..."

Jinx sighed, but let the subject drop for now.

"Thank you...for saving me."

Now Raven did look up, the change in the direction of the conversation surprising her. The sincerity in her voice surprised even herself, but Jinx meant her words wholeheartedly. If Raven hadn't been there, there was a very real possibility that'd she'd be lying in the cold downtown city morgue instead of her own warm and comfortable bed right now, meta-human or no.

Raven, looking down again, replied, "Just doing my job..."

Which was a lie, Jinx knew. Under those circumstances, letting the enemy take each other out would have been the smartest and most efficient choice to make. Saving her went beyond Raven's duty as a Titan, and was a decision she would take responsibility for. With a sinking sensation in her stomach, Jinx realized that the other Titans now knew of her existence in Jump again.

Raven continued to study the blanket with such intensity that Jinx was scared she'd burn a hole in it.

Jinx smirked. "Well, either way...I owe you one. How does al dente sound to ya?"

Raven gave her a confused look. "What?"

"Al dente! Don't tell me you've never had any before?" Jinx asked, incredulous.

A shake of the head affirmed her inquiry.

"Well, that just won't do!" Jinx replied with furrowed brows. "Come on, I'll go fix some up for us."

Jinx pulled back the covers and jumped off the bed. And started swaying, in danger of falling flat on her face.

Without thought, Raven reach out and caught her arm. Pulling her back to the bed, she made the stunned girl sit on the edge. "You have a mild concussion, don't go jumping around all of a sudden," she chided.

Jinx nodded numbly, her arm tingly and hot where Raven's hand was still enclosed firmly around most of her bicep. As if reading her body's reaction, Raven let go like she'd been holding red hot iron. She looked like she was going to say something, but opted for standing there silently awkward again.

"Thanks again," Jinx chirped, getting onto her feet slowly this time. Trying to salvage Raven from further potential awkwardness or embarrassment, she proceeded towards the door without further ado, carefully compensating for her minor lack of balance.

She reach the doorway and turned around. "Coming?"

Raven hesitated only a moment before following.

* * *

_Spaghetti?_

Raven looked down at her plate, not completely sure what she was looking at. The dish's contents consisted of very thin noodles, coated abundantly in creamy white sauce, and topped off with a garnish of some Parmesan and unknown green herbs. Definitely not a kitchen dwelling individual, Raven was ashamed to say she had never tried the dish before.

Leaning over the plate slightly, Raven caught a whiff of the delicious aroma. She thought she also caught a scent of white wine in there as well.

"Is this...spaghetti?"

Jinx rolled her eyes as she sat down across from Raven, a plate of her own in front of her. "It's pasta, and yes, it's Italian."

Raven continued to study the food for a few seconds more.

"Well? You gonna eat it or stare it to death? There's no poison, if that's what you're worried about." Jinx asked impatiently, though Raven thought she caught an undertone of amusement in her voice.

Picking up her fork, Raven timidly tried a bite.

_This is...this is delicious!_

Raven looked up to find an expectant and slightly nervous Jinx, waiting for her to made some sort of comment.

"It's...good," Raven uttered, not bothering to contain her tone of surprise.

"Well, of course it's good! What'd you expect?" Jinx tried to mock taking offense to Raven's words, but Raven saw some relief and pleasure light up the girl's face.

Conversation became scarce as the two girls quickly consumed their meal. Raven, more famished as she hadn't eaten all day, finished her plate first. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she studied Jinx as the blonde girl ate.

_She eats like a boy_, Raven thought, and chuckled.

Jinx blinked, and asked, "Whuh?" around a mouthful of food.

Raven only shook her head, smiling.

The witch shrugged and continued to eat. Soon, she was finished, and gathered up the plates, taking them to the sink. Raven watched the girl thoughtfully, pondering the strange evening. It struck her, just how absurd the situation really was. A girl, whom the last time she saw before today had been robbing a bank two years ago, had just made her dinner!

_Stranger things have happened, I guess_, Raven thought.

"You should smile more often," Jinx said out of the blue, her back to Raven as she rinsed the dishes.

Raven was taken aback. Not knowing what to say, she looked down at her hands, feeling heat rise up to her cheeks.

"You've got a good smile," Jinx continued, seemingly oblivious to Raven's discomfort.

"Thanks..." Raven replied, her heart fluttering .

Finished with the two plates, Jinx hung them out on the rack besides the sink for them to dry. "So...what now?"

Raven, glad for the change in subject, cleared her mind. It seemed to be an opportune moment to finally get some answers. "I've got a few things I want to ask, if you don't mind."

Jinx simply nodded, going back towards the sink. Reaching up to the oak cupboards, she retrieved two cups. Circling around the island, Jinx put the cups down on the counter and opened the fridge.

"Lemonade?"

Raven assented, and Jinx poured two glasses, throwing in a few cubes of ice. With that done, Jinx returned to the table, this time taking a seat to the left of Raven.

Taking a sip, Jinx spoke, "So, what do you wanna know?"

Getting straight to the point, Raven asked, "What is this place?"

"When I was born, my mom moved to Jump City. She left me this place when she died. Well, technically she left it to a guys named Dante, I was a kid when she passed...but it's my home." Jinx looked thoughtful as she spoke. "When she died, I left instead of staying with the old man. I couldn't take living in these walls, ya know? The Academy found me, took me in...that's how most of us were. Orphans, runaways, the homeless...kids who wouldn't be missed."

Raven saw that Jinx didn't want to talk about the HIVE. She couldn't help but wonder what had happened, why the girl had left the syndicate.

"Anyway, that's all history now," Jinx concluded, avoiding the last two years.

"I'm sorry." Raven paused again, not quite sure how to put together her next question. "How do you plan on...sustaining yourself now?"

Jinx grinned at her inquiry. "You mean, am I gonna keep stealing? Having second thoughts about saving a villain already?" Jinx laughed as Raven looked disturbed. "Don't worry, I'm done with that. Larceny was what got me into this mess in the first place." Here, her expression turned thoughtful. "I've been thinking...maybe Lilly might need an extra hand at the diner. It's a great place, and I love to cook. And somehow, I doubt it'd be a walk in the park getting a normal job anywhere else with my résume."

Raven digested this information with a bit of relief. Her choices today had all been reckless considering she was a Titan, but if the formerly pink-haired girl was really trying to turn her life over and lead a legitimate life, Raven had no reason to regret any of her actions.

"It won't be that easy, will it?"

Raven focused back on Jinx, who had taken her silence as a negative sign.

"A criminal like me...they won't let me off that easy will they?"

She realized the girl was talking about the other Titans. What _were_ they going to think about this? Raven wasn't too sure herself what their reactions would be, but she would confront them when she went back tonight.

"Everyone deserves a second chance."

Raven said the words that Robin had once spoken to herself. The same words had saved her life, and found her a place amongst the Teen Titans. But the same words had allowed Terra into their hearts...

Jinx looked mildly surprised, but looked considerably eased by the words. "Thanks. Again."

The dark Titan nodded. "I should get going, before the others get worried."

Jinx stood to show the girl to the door, but Raven was suddenly enveloped by black energy, then promptly vanished into the air.

"Goddess, superheroes and their flashy exits," Jinx muttered, but she was smiling.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: First things first, I'd like to thanks SushiChica for being a beta for me! Without her, my work would be worthless and unfit to read! Anyway, I'm a little torn now between whether or not to speed things up with this story. I'm getting several mixed opinions from reviewers, some people think things are going too slow, some think it's fine as it is. Personally, I don't want this piece to turn out to be a hulking 100 chapter monster like "Frozen" (which, btw, is my favorite Final Fantasy VIII fan fictions of all time! Go check it out if you want, the pairing is QuistisxFujin :3!). Well, please leave your opinions with reviews, you guys are what keep me writing!

Also, I realize that al dente is not a type of pasta, but actually a measurement of the hardness of noodles in terms of cooking it. However, I wanted to throw in a reference to "The Returner", for those of you who are fans out there xD.

**Review Replies**:

Strgrl4eva: Thanks, and I sure will!

RulerxTaki: Well, if you didn't notice, I changed the category for this fan fic to Romance/Drama. Meaning this isn't going to be just a 10 or 20 part fic lol.

Spikesagitta: Thanks! Glad that you think so :3

DF: Haha, you're right, especially when you put it that way.

Crimsonshrouds: Thank you, I'm happy you like the way I'm building the story up. This chapter should answer some of your questions, haha.

CP AkA Crazy: I know :C I'm getting that from some people. I'm still debating about the pace because I'm still a little unsure about what I'm going to set the overall length for this fic to be. But please continue to give me your opinion, it helps me a lot!

Ranko Lina Inverse: I'm honored that I can help with something like that! Good luck with your work :D and the new HIVE member's power is being able to negate other meta-human's attacks, though I didn't make it very obvious. She'll be showing up again soon though, so it's alright :D. And Raven will face the other Titans in the next chapter, so just wait and see :3!

Blimey The Toad: Thank you very much! The matter of Jinx is complicated for me, my beta and I have been discussing it as well, but I'm trying my best :3 . And the longer the reviews the better, so please don't be sorry! I hope to continue to hear from you.

Chibichoco: Thanks again, and again I'm pleased you liked it! Here's the next chappie xD!

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	8. Chapter 8

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: I know I know, we've been MIA for far too long~!

Taki: But now we're back!

Rannison: No richer than we were before...so much for stealing ownership of the Teen Titans and making millions.

Bubby: Yeah. Great. Just blurt it all out. Now they'll _never_ belong to us.

Taki: Sigh. On with the story.

* * *

**Chapter 8 (Ver. 1.0)**

Jinx smiled and politely greeted the customers, seating them and handing them their menus. She attentively took their drink orders, and sweetly told them to take their time looking over the rest. It wasn't until she reached the kitchen that her smile cracked and fell into a scowl.

_Argh, I can't stand this!_

She felt a bit ashamed with herself for being frustrated. Lilly was doing her a huge favor by letting her take this job. Raven was also taking a huge leap of faith by protecting her, and even going as far as saving her life. Of course, her feelings of restlessness weren't unheard of...many meta-humans in her situation had trouble reintegrating into normal society, she just had to take time to adapt and get used to this...dull, uneventful and boring life.

_It's only been two weeks, I just need to give it more time._

Despite telling herself that, the witch sighed with some relief when she saw that her shift was done.

"Lilly, can you take care of table four? I'm clocking out now!"

The brunette looked up with a smile from the grill, assuring Jinx she'd take care of the rest and wishing her a good day. With that, Jinx quickly changed and left through the back.

A few moments later, she was wading through the sea of Jump pedestrians, enjoying the sun and the dull constant roar of the populace. She had the rest of the day to herself, and Jump offered many attractions to indulge in. On a normal day, Jinx may have gone shopping, or book browsing, or hit the arcade for old times sake. However, the last few days Jinx had become increasingly agitated and unable to enjoy the life she had thought she wanted. Hell, she wasn't even sure what it was exactly that she wanted right now.

A display caught her eye in her aimless wandering, and Jinx slowed to a stop in front of a glass store front. A certain sorceress danced into Jinx's mind as she studied the display. A moment of hesitation passed, and Jinx started walking away. She stopped again.

_Ugh, fuck it._

The witch turned back around and walked through the door._  
_

* * *

Raven was training.

Training, in itself, wasn't at all that unusual for the Titans. Robin kept a strict schedule of drills for the Titans to complete, either solo, in pairs, or as an entire attack team. They drilled countless scenarios, from offensive to defensive, reconnaissance to escorts. However, Raven had taken it a step further and started working on her own outside of their mandatory training schedule. When questioned, she merely shrugged and gave non-committal answers.

The dark Titan had her own motives. With her merging, Raven found more control, precision, and potential in her powers. She felt as if the well she was drawing her powers from had become deeper, to some unknown depth, and she was gradually able to draw out more and more of it at will. In the last two weeks, the sorceress pushed herself further and further, seeking out her new limits and finding none. The changes were small, imperceptible to any observer; there was no dramatic changes, no new flashy attacks...but she felt something there. A vague sense of a giant aquifer deep within her had sprung into existence, one that she hasn't been able to tap into at her current level. This became her image training day after day. Through meditation, running the attack course, and endurance-shielding on the defense course, Raven slowly drilled deeper and deeper toward her goal, gaining more stability and endurance all the while.

Of course, Raven wasn't obsessed or hungry for more power. She sought first over all other aspects of her power. So, the other reason why she spent so much time training now...

_I wonder how she's settling in..._

She sighed. Training also helped keep her mind off of the ex-villain, which seemed to be becoming an impossible task these days. She didn't understand it, but her mind seemed to wander to the happy-go-lucky girl much too often to be healthy.

Raven touched back down onto the roof, unable to concentrate on meditation any longer. It seemed that time didn't help, and in fact made things worse. It'd only been two weeks, but as the days passed Raven found herself wondering about the witch with increasing frequency. A black sphere formed from Raven's feet and up to her head, enclosing her in an instant. The next instant she was gone.

She opened her eyes, staring into the bathroom mirror. A casual flick of her arm and the shower began to run. She continued to stare into her reflection as she undressed, as if intent on pinpointing a physical anomaly in her features to match the changes of the past two weeks. She saw nothing, just herself as she always was.

_Maybe...maybe I should check in on her. Just to make sure she's not causing any trouble._

The thought was spontaneous and unexpected, but she felt a rising, uncontrolled excitement at the stray thought. Her pulse quickened, and a faint tinge of pink appeared across her pale cheeks.

_What the hell is wrong with me?_

Raven jerked away from her reflection, stepping into the shower before the water could warm. She welcomed the chill shock across her body.

Of course, by now she already had more than a good idea of what exactly was "wrong" with her. Raven wasn't a techie like Cyborg, or a master strategist like Robin, but she wasn't stupid. She read enough books, seen enough of mortal society and media, to know that what she was feeling was...

_...attraction._

Yes. She didn't deny it now, but she didn't like it one bit. Romance wasn't something a half-demon like her should ever seek. There were too many reasons to stay away, too many concerns and troubles. Raven didn't need to be psychic to see where it would lead to. And on top of all that, the object of her misguided affections happened to be a female witch, an ex-criminal, an obnoxious, childish...

..._lithe, dextrous, feral girl with intoxicating eyes and..._

Raven nearly slapped herself. For once, the dark Titan was at a loss of what to do. Even if she went to visit Jinx, what was she expecting to happen? Wouldn't seeing her just aggravate the problem?

_Only one way to find out._

Giving in, Raven quickly finished up and summoned over her street clothing from her closet.

* * *

"Welcome! Can I help you with anything?"

Jinx smiled brightly at the elderly man. "Oh, I'm just looking around, don't mind me!"

The old man smiled in return, and went back to his computer monitor. His smile froze when, as he was about to resume the movie he had paused, a red blinking icon caught his attention. Double-clicking the icon brought up a silent message:

**!SECURITY ALERT!**

**KNOWN CRIMINAL IDENTIFIED**

A profile displaying a pink-haired girl and a physical description loaded underneath the message.

Jinx, intently studying the piece of jewelry that had caught her eye out on the street, didn't notice the snub-nosed revolver being pulled out from underneath the counter and pointed at the back of her head...**  
**

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: Sorry everyone, I know I've been MIA for a few years now. Trust me, it's not that I gave up on writing, real life sort of just took over. I work 60 hours a week now, take care of an at-home-wife, and just simply don't have time to myself anymore. However, since things are slowing down at work now, I'm sneaking some time in at the office to type this up (yes, I'm am at my office at this very moment, not getting any real work done). Anyway, don't expect things to pick back up with any real speed, but I do want to let you all know that I have far from given up on this project! Thank you to all of the loyal fans who have continuously given me support even in my absence. I will do my best to not disappoint!

**Rants (Don't read unless you wanna be bored outta your mind lol)**: Sorry this chapter is slow paced, I'm still getting back into everything so I wanted to take it slow and get back in touch with the minds of the characters. I'll be picking back up with the action in the next chapter. Also, I originally planned a cross-over, but then decided against it. There are many reasons that I won't get into right now, but based on the reviews I'm pretty sure the idea won't be missed anyway. I still might hint at some elements, but it definitely won't be a major factor in the story line.

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	9. Chapter 9

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: Teen Titans and company do not belong to us.

Taki: So, on with the story!

Rannison: ...what...? That's it?

Taki: Threateningly. You _lookin' _for trouble?

Rannison: On with the story!

* * *

**Dedication:** Wolfkcing's "Pitch and Pink" _really_ inspired me to write a romance with Raven and Jinx as a pairing! If you haven't yet, please go read his story!

* * *

**Chapter 9 (Ver. 1.0)**

**Click.**

Jinx froze, the hairs on her neck standing on end. There are few things you forget in combat training. The sounds of a gun are one of them. Without being prompted to do so, the girl put her hands up slowly without turning around.

"Don't you move, now. Coppers 'r on their way. You just stay there like a good lil' gal."

_Too careless_, she chided her self. She'd gotten too comfortable with the monotony of her new life. Danger never disappears from the life of someone on the run.

"Listen, sir. I don't want any trouble here, I was just-"

"Shut it! I don't wanna hear another word from you. You got some'n to say, you can tell it to the authorities when they get here."

Fear. She could hear it clearly in his voice. _He's threatened, he knows who I am somehow. Must be a new security feature I don't know about. Come on Jinx, talk him down._ More than ever now, she wish she hadn't snoozed through all her Crisis Negotiation courses.

Unfortunately, she didn't have the time either way. The witch's acute hearing picked up the sound of sirens off in the distance. _Damn it, of course they have to have improved response time _now, she thought. _I've gotta get out of here somehow._

To her left out of her peripheral vision, Jinx spotted a chrome counter mirror for customers. Carefully, without drawing attention, Jinx twitched her right index finger. The mirror swiveled silently a few degrees to the left.

_Snub nose .38. What is this guy, an antique dealer too?_ Further observation showed the man was at the back of the room against the back wall, behind a display case with a computer monitor on it. There were two aisles of glass displays between them. Jinx mentally marked the second to last counter, and waited for just the right moment. As the sirens approached and became audible, the old man gave her the opening she was looking for.

"About damn ti-" his eyes moved off of her for less than a second, but it was long enough for the witch's feline reflexes.

Jinx spun around in one fluid, compact movement, her arm whipping around and downward with the rotational momentum. In the same motion, she allowed herself to fall to the ground and roll with her momentum safely against the base of the closest display case. The angle of hex spell caused it to hit the glass counter top in front of the store owner, rebounding and impacting the firearm from below. When the gun discharged, it fired harmlessly into the ceiling with a deafening crack. The last thing Jinx wanted was an innocent bystander getting hurt because of her.

A quick peak around the base of the stand showed the stunned man staring at his gun in shock. No longer in direct danger, Jinx gathered up some energy and shot another hex at the gun. This time, the pink energy didn't have a kinetic impact, but instead briefly enveloped the firearm in a strange crackling glow. A second later, the hammer spring snapped and popped out of the gun. Followed by the hammer pivot pin. Followed by various other parts. In a few short seconds, the man was left holding the grip, the rest of the gun harmlessly disassembled at his feet. He continued to stare dumbly at what was left of his gun, until the girl approached the counter.

"I'll be taking this," Jinx informed him calmly, flashing him the piece of jewelry she had been eying. She dropped a wad of bills on the counter. "This should cover it, and the umm...replacements parts for your gun." A flick of the wrist, and the front door's locking mechanisms activated with the codes scrambled. By the time the first officer on scene reached the entrance, the girl had taken to the roof tops.

* * *

Robin smirked. _She's good._

The video footage revealed the events that took place at the jewelry store in its entirety. Though the case was not under the Titans' jurisdiction, Robin had access to the city's surveillance network. The Titans are usually only involved if any conflict escalates beyond threat level Orange, but the Boy Wonder has his tower databasing all security footage of hot-call locations involving, or suspected of involving, meta-human parties. So when the Titan leader got wind of an ex-convict walking into a jewelry store in broad daylight, held at gunpoint by the store owner, and ending the conflict with no casualties, minimal collateral damage, and even reimbursing the store owner for some merchandise and his ruined firearm...well, Robin was interested to say the least.

_She could've taken him out easy. Instead, she went out of her way to avoid unwarranted casualties._ Robin hated to admit it, but she acted with admirable control and levelheadedness, not to mention skill and precision...more so than he could say of some of his own Titans.

Of course, it could all be a facade...only he knew it wasn't.

Though he became less cynical as the years passed, Robin was still Robin. He had the witch's trail for the last three years investigated as soon as she showed her face in Jump. Turns out some skirmish had occurred between the girl and HIVE all those years ago after a botched operation, which led to her going AWOL. The details were fuzzy, but from what Robin had gathered the witch had disobeyed a kill order from a commanding officer. An active KOS order was placed on her head, as with any other deserters of the organization, and she'd kept her head down and out of trouble since then.

_Enemy of my enemy_, thought the Titan leader. His smirk came back. _I wonder if she'd be interested in a job offer...? We have been a bit short-handed lately, and talent of this caliber is hard to come by..._

* * *

Jinx sighed contently, fluffing her wet hair with the giant pink beach towel while walking down to the kitchen to grab a cold drink. _Man, am I beat_.

She couldn't deny it though...she somehow missed the feeling. The adrenaline surging and pumping, the pressure of combat and making split second decisions. _I guess you can't really change who you are, huh Jinxy?_

No sooner had she plopped down onto the couch, the doorbell rang, causing the witch to groan in protest. "Who the hell...?"

Dragging herself back up, Jinx walked over to the door and looked through the peephole. She was greeted with the sight of the last person she expected to be showing up at her door. She unlatched the security chain and unlocked the door, opening it with a little hint of excitement.

"Now to what," Jinx leaned against the door frame with restraint, "would I owe the pleasure of this visit?" She restrained herself from betraying any excitement, but humor and good cheer touched her eyes and voice.

A very, very nervous-looking Raven ran a hand through her tousled hair, avoiding eye contact. Jinx's smile turned nearly predatory.

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: My god, another chapter in the same day? And look, it's already passed my bedtime...have to go to work in less than eight hours x.x. Well, think of it as me making up for lost time! Hope you all enjoy this chapter, please give me some feedback and suggestions, I'm still feeling pretty rusty here!

**Rants: **I'll be completely honest. I totally scrapped my previous plans for this story, and have not completed a replacement story map. In other words, I am currently winging it completely. That's why I need feedback, the direction of this project is very malleable at this point :D. Please, shower me with suggestions 3~!

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


	10. Chapter 10

**It's All About Luck**

A Teen Titan Fan Fiction

By: Rannison

* * *

**Disclaimer**:

Bubby: Haha, now that Taki's not here, I can claim whatever I want! Teen Titans-

A red laser sight appears on Bubby's forehead.

Bubby: -absolutely, positively, does NOT belong to us. In any way. None, whatsoever. :D.

Rannison: Err, on with the story?

* * *

**Dedication:** Wolfkcing's "Pitch and Pink" _really_ inspired me to write a romance with Raven and Jinx as a pairing! If you haven't yet, please go read his story!

* * *

**Chapter 10 (Ver. 1.0)**

**!BEEP!**

The female Titan opened one eye, then raised her com unit up. _Robin._

"Yes?" she asked, trying to conceal her irritation at being interrupted during what all the Titans knew as Raven's unofficial do-not-disturb "break". Though there was no longer a need for meditation, Raven still found the habit calmed her, and allowed her to gather and "refine" her energy as well. It also gave her time to analyze-or as BB put it, to "darkly brood"-her new found emotions and impulses. As of late, most of those conflicts revolved around a certain blonde-haired witch.

"Raven, sorry for interrupting, but I have an assignment for you. Can you come up to the briefing room?".

Raven sighed. "On my way." She closed the connection, still floating in mid-air above her bed. Solo missions were rare. That Robin specifically asked for her alone was even more so. An unexpected surge of curiosity overcame Raven, which annoyed her even more. Handling human emotions was such a complex and unfruitful endeavor, and Raven was beginning to doubt she'd ever see any benefits. A flash of black enveloped her, and then she was gone.

* * *

Robin wasn't startled when a pitch-black, avian-shaped wall of energy suddenly formed and morphed into a perfect sphere. After receding into it's center, Raven stood looking a little annoyed. It had become somewhat of a common sight around the tower...really comes to show you _can_ get used to just about anything over time.

Raven raised an eyebrow in a silent inquiry.

"Take a seat," Robin instructed.

The sorceress obliged, whereas the Titan leader stood and began to pace. "Like I said, I have an assignment for you. This one's off the record, even from the others, until you determine the subject's cooperation."

Raven only nodded for Robin to go on.

Robin came to a stop and faced her. "This is a scouting mission. I won't beat around the bush...I want you to approach the subject and determine their level of interest in recruitment."

The female Titan raised an eyebrow again. It was rare for Robin to consider recruiting another Titan, though not for any lack of qualified candidates; requests came in constantly, just as much as fan or hate mail, and some of the resumes were pretty impressive. However, the recent surge in criminal activity would warrant the need for another member to relieve some of their work load. What Raven didn't understand was why he wanted _her_ to scout out their next potential team member. This sort of job was always Robin's forte, and Raven wasn't exactly the most diplomatic member of the team.

Reading the question in her face, Robin continued, "I know this isn't your usual thing. Fact of the matter is, this isn't exactly a normal situation. The subject has a record, which is why this needs to stay out of sight from the media, at least until we determine the subject's willingness to cooperate. It has to be you, since you seem to have gained the subject's trust already."

Realization dawned on Raven as her leader spoke. "No."

It was Robin's turn to raise an eyebrow. "No?"

"No," Raven was adamant, and even began to shake her head. "There is no way in _hell_ that she...how can you even consider this? _Why_ are you even considering this?"

Bewilderment was plain on her face, though the team leader was beginning to feel confused himself. Robin had expected some surprise or potential doubt, but a flat-out refusal? Raven was the one who broke protocol on multiple counts to selflessly keep Jinx from getting arrested. In a world where crime was so prevalent and the good guys were too few, innocent-until-proven-guilty didn't apply to meta-human criminals with a record, not when the authorities were so short-handed. Robin didn't like this unspoken rule, but that was how things worked if you wanted to keep innocent civilians out of harm's way. But despite that, Raven gave Jinx a chance to remain under the radar and try to rebuild her life. The former thief didn't disappoint, and did just that**-**admirably, in fact, compared to the majority of other cases.

Through all that, Robin instantly deducted this wasn't about Jinx's background. He also deducted it wasn't about her ability, since Jinx proved herself more than competent even so long after her "retirement". This was something else, something personal.

Raven's face turned red from embarrassment. In the few short seconds of silence that had followed her outburst, Robin had calmly and coolly figured her out. She didn't mean to read his thoughts, had in fact just barely brushed the outer layer of his consciousness, but it was enough to tell he had seen through her own thoughts.

_And I thought _I _was suppose to be the mind-reader here_, Raven thought with a bit of begrudging respect for their leader.

Robin feigned ignorance of Raven's embarrassment, for which she was grateful. "Fact of the matter is, her experience in the criminal modus operandi can become a major asset for us. In addition, her caliber of talent in combat is pretty rare to come across. Besides all that, I have my own reasons for wanting her to join."

"And that would be?" Raven was more intrigued than ever. Their leader was usually the skeptic amongst them all, but Robin was extending an unusual amount of trust here. She wanted to know why.

Robin paused to consider how to word his answer. "Let's just say...I have an idea of what she's going through right now. Most criminals and returning combatants take years of therapy and support from loved ones to do what she did alone for the last three years. Her recent incident downtown might have some negative effects. I don't want her turning to the wrong place to look for an adrenaline fix, not when she's worked so hard on turning a new leaf. If she's with us, we can make sure she doesn't stray off on the wrong path again. In other words, it's in our mutual interest that she comes under our wing."

The dark Titan understood what Robin was implying; Criminal Psychology was covered in all of their basic training (though she was sure BB had snored right through it). "Fine. I'll see what I can do."

Robin cracked a smile. "Appreciate it."

* * *

_I'm here on business_, Raven thought. For the umpteenth time.

Currently, a very nervous Raven was at a certain witch's front steps. She had taken time to change to her street clothes (which she told herself was to conceal her identity from civilians, and _not_ because she was here to see Jinx), slipping into a slim pair of black jeans, matched with a black tank and casual button-up. Raven rang the bell quickly before her nerves failed her.

The door opened all too quickly, before she could compose her expression.

"Now to what," Jinx leaned against the door frame, "would I owe the pleasure of this visit?"

Raven ran a hand through her hair, her nervousness increasing exponentially. The enchantress was wearing a towel, a slightly damp white tank, and a pair of daisy-yellow shorts that were way too short. Raven's heart rate soared and her breathing became short and labored, as she couldn't help but notice just how much pale smooth skin the witch was showing, still glistening with a bit of water. The way she leaned against the door frame lifted the bottom of her tank, revealing her soft navel. A glance at her face showed a coy smile and an expression that did nothing to comfort the Titan. All of this combined proved more potent than any attack or spell, and rendered Raven completely speechless and immobilized.

Jinx giggled at the sorceress' stupor. "Do you mind coming in? It's getting a bit chilly for me."

She obliged and the witch closed the door behind her. "Tea?"

"Sure," Raven answered, numbly taking a seat on the couch.

"Chrysanthemum, right?"

Raven must have betrayed some surprise, as Jinx smiled and explained, "I remember from the diner. Just sit tight, I'll put on the kettle right now."

It was such a trivial thing, remembering what Raven's favorite tea was. It was illogical for her to feel such a rush of warmth from it. She hated feeling all this, hated not being able to control her emotions, hated even more that her emotions were starting to dictate her actions. With suddenly steeled resolve, Raven stood back up and approached the kitchen.

"Jinx. I'm here on official business."

"I know," Jinx said, her back turned to the sorceress. She filled an electronic kettle and then set it on it's base, flipping the switch.

Again, Raven was caught off guard. It was getting annoying how easily the witch could put her off her balance. "You know?"

"You guys saw the footage from the jewelry store. And since you're not here with a bunch of uni's or the rest of the team, I'm guessing the Boy Wonder sent you here to have a chat with me instead of detaining me." Jinx turned around now to face Raven. "So, what exactly does he want? If it's to give me a slap on the wrist, there's no need. I was careless, but I won't let it happen again."

Impressed, Raven shook her head. "You're partially right. I'm not here to reprimand you though. I'm here to give you a job offer."

* * *

**A/N (Ver. 1.0)**: Whew! Finally ground out another one, which is not easy considering I'm writing everything at work now. Thanks to everyone who gave me reviews and critiques. I'm still in need of much guidance, so please don't stop with the criticism and suggestions! Still feeling a bit rusty, so it's going pretty slowly, but I hope I won't disappoint.

**Review Replies**:

xXBlackRavenXx: Thank you! I've tried very hard to develop their personalities, and I'm glad to hear it wasn't in vain. I'm happy to hear you like how I wrote those chapters, and I aim to keep pleasing.

spritznar: I'm glad you liked it! Updates are slow, but I'm definitely working on it!

Umbra8191: Thank you, and here's your update!

kitmaro: I've been advised to slow things down on the romantic development, but don't worry :3 I'm building up to it!

Spikesagitta: I know, I just couldn't let this one die. Thanks for the support, and sorry about the long wait!

LilithRyoka: Your review was very helpful, and I am extremely grateful for your feedback! I hope that you can continue to help me in the future, and I hope I won't disappoint!

Strgrl4eva: No problem, I'm glad just to hear that you like it! I wouldn't dare believe I've gotten better, I just try my best to please. Haha, we're not hiring currently unless you want to work in the warehouse. I work at a frozen foods manufacturer in Ontario, CA. You wouldn't happen to be anywhere near here?

Ganonfan117: You're absolutely right, and I respect that you want me to take things slow. It wouldn't feel real if the romantic development was rushed (though I know some of the readers are dying for them to just hook up xD). You're suggestions were very helpful, and you even guessed where I was going with the job offer. I am extremely grateful, and I hope that you can continue to help me along as I update. Thank you so much for your help!

**Other Notes**:

Thanks to all my readers! As always, you can contact me at or PM me on the website. Comments, suggestions, encouragements, or even criticisms and flames are welcome!


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